Business

IFAD Supports 150 Rice Farmers With N50m Inputs

Published

10 years ago

July 13, 2015

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Niger State said it assisted 150 rice farmers in the state to procure N50 million worth of inputs to increase their yields.
Dr Mathew Ahmed, the Programme Coordinator of IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Niger made this known on Saturday at the inauguration of funds support programme for small holder farmers in Katcha Local Government Area.
He said “we have supported 150 rice farmers from six different cooperative groups with a grant of N25 million to match the N25 million they contributed for this programme.
“Fifty hectares of land will be cultivated by the clusters of farmers, numbering 25 in each group.’’
Ahmed explained that the programme, aimed at enhancing rice and cassava value chains for sustainable agricultural transformation, would increase wealth for farmers.
He said that the grant was for farm inputs such as faro-57-fertilizer, herbicides and for insurance cover for the farms in case of destruction from natural disaster and diseases.
He added that part of the grant would be used to prepare the land, while IFAD would provide 25 tube wells to enable farmers to grow “three cycle yield’’ per season.
He said that the grant covers provision of threshing machines for the farmers to ensure that the rice was clean.
“We are expecting 400 tonnes of rice per cycle, meaning we will get 1,200 tonnes of rice per farming season under the fund’s regime,’’ he said.
Improved rice seedlings, according to him, are also given to beneficiaries by IFAD and the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA).
Alhaji Mohammadu Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary, Niger Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, urged the farmers to utilise the support for rice production toward ensuring success of the programme.
Ibrahim, who was represented by Alhaji Bala Maidugu, said the extension staff of the state’s ministry of agriculture would be on ground to give the farmers necessary support.
He said “IFAD is also partnering with Bida and Wushishi local government areas in our state on enhancing rice and cassava value chains for sustainable agricultural transformation.’’
Also, Alhaji Jibrin Yakubu, the Chairman, All Farmers Association (AFAN) in the Katcha Local Government Area, said many farmers were faced with the challenge of getting fertilizer at affordable rates.
Yakubu, who commended IFAD for the gesture, assured that AFAN would ensure the success of the programme.

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive with the development of the welfare of its personnel.

Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the clearing of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying, “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.

The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.

“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”

Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.

“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.

Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).

The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.

Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.

The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.

The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.

The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.

He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.

Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.

The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.

“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.

Chinedu Wosu